Make volunteering your New Year's resolution

Okay - so you over-indulged over the festive season and have now probably made new year's resolutions to get fit, reduce stress or lose weight to make you feel better and gain a sense of achievement.  You could spend a fortune joining a gym (although you know that you'll have stopped going by February), spend hours chopping up vegetables at the hands of the latest fad diet, or put your back out attempting a complex yoga position. Or, if you really want to feel good about yourself and make a resolution you can stick to, you could try a spot of volunteering.
 
Research shows that you are much more likely to stick to a resolution that has a positive effect on others or involves doing things with other people. Nearly half of all volunteers believe it has improved their health, while one in five says it has helped them lose weight.  Of those who have volunteered for more than two years, half say it makes them less depressed. Sizeable numbers claim it has helped them smoke and drink less and has reduced stress.

So why not give volunteering a go?  There are hundreds of opportunities to choose from and you will be surprised at the range of different types of activity available.  From prop making to dog walking, from video-editing to train driving, there is something for everyone.  Your local volunteer centre has a wide variety of opportunities of which the following are just a small selection.

Being a parent can be tough.  Many parents say that they sometimes long for someone who understands the pressures, to talk to, to confide in or just to share a coffee and a chat with.  Home-Start provides just this kind of support to local families with at least one child under 5 years of age.  Their volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to young families, helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown.  If you are a parent or a grandparent and can spare two hours a week you could make a real difference to a family in your local area.  Home-Start carefully matches volunteers with families in order to ensure that they provide the best support possible.  As a Home-Start volunteer you will receive a warm welcome, full training and ongoing support, with the opportunity to gain personal satisfaction, confidence and self esteem through your relationship with a local family.

When family and friends live too far away to help, WRVS Good Neighbours provide informal and occaisonal help to local people who are housebound because of illness, age or disability. Good Neighbour volunteers are people who care about the community they live in, and want to make it a better place. Their willingness to give up their time to offer help and friendship is what makes WRVS’ services special; their knowledge and experience helping the organisation to respond to local needs. Volunteer activities may include some of the following - befriending clients and providng companionship, collecting shopping, prescriptions, library books and pensions, walking the dog, giving information and advice on other services in the community, helping with form filling and letter writing, attending when workmen visit and providing transport. Even small jobs can sometimes be daunting, and help with these can improve people's sense of security and enjoyment of life. Taking someone to a doctor's appointment or just calling in for a chat can make all the difference to their day.  No special skills are required to be a Good Neighbour, just good conversation and listening skills and common sense. 

For the green-fingered amongst you, volunteering with the Friends of Clipstone Brook is a great way of meeting new people whilst undertaking conservation work to improve the area for people and wildlife.  The role could include surveying and monitoring wildlife, tree planting, construction and installation of nesting boxes and clearing the brook of rubbish and shopping trolleys.  Working parties are held on weekends, and you are welcome to join in just once in a while or turn up every week.  Work parties in 2007 start from February.

If you’ve got plenty of time on your hands and are interested in helping people who may otherwise suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, you might consider becoming a Citizens Advice Bureau Adviser.  Formal qualifications or previous experience are not required for this role, just a genuine interest in people, good communication skills and a willingness to learn and a desire to help people. Full OCN-accredited training is given, and volunteers shadow existing advisers until they are confident enough to conduct interviews alone.  Also required are basic IT skills, although further training will be also given in this area.  For this opportunity you will need to be able to commit to two sessions (each of 4 hours) per week, with morning or afternoon slots available.  Perfect for those of you who are looking for a regular commitment and are looking for an opportunity to stimulate the old grey cells. 

The Houghton Regis Reading Partnership aim to raise reading levels amongst children in the local area whilst increasing the enjoyment gained from reading.  Following an OCN-accredited training course, volunteers help children read in one of 7 local schools.  The time commitment is 30 minutes to 1 hour three times per week within school hours (9am-3pm).  No previous experience is necessary, just an interest in and commitment to helping children learn.

Hospice At Home Volunteers (HHV) has provided 20 years of care and support to people and their carers with life-limiting illness. Volunteers visit clients at home, spending time doing a variety of activities depending on the clients’ needs and interests.  Volunteers aren’t expected to provide any medical care or do housework; the role is as a supportive ‘friend’, so might include spending time reading aloud, chatting or just being there.  The visits provide support to carers too, allowing them time away from what can be a stressful and emotionally demanding role.  HHV are looking are looking for people, ordinary men and women, who are able to share some time with clients, can show support, empathy and trust.  Full training is provided.

For further information on these opportunities please contact Georgina or Rebecca at the Volunteer Centre at Voluntary and Community Action on 01525 850559 or email volunteer@action-southbeds.org.uk  If you would like to explore other volunteering opportunities that are available in South Bedfordshire please contact Georgina or Rebecca for a Volunteering Directory or to arrange an informal chat.